1 00:00:32,932 --> 00:00:37,494 Australia... the land of sun, sea and surf... 2 00:00:41,173 --> 00:00:45,405 lts golden shores are a magnet for beach lovers and thrill seekers. 3 00:00:56,689 --> 00:01:00,250 Millions flock to explore the world's biggest coral reef. 4 00:01:00,626 --> 00:01:03,254 But while the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney Harbour 5 00:01:03,429 --> 00:01:06,227 are the classic images of the Australian way of life, 6 00:01:06,565 --> 00:01:08,192 they're just the beginning. 7 00:01:18,844 --> 00:01:21,813 Leave behind those playgrounds of the crowded east coast, 8 00:01:22,147 --> 00:01:25,082 and there's a much wilder party going on out there. 9 00:01:32,191 --> 00:01:33,783 This continent has a coastline 10 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:38,259 that stretches from the hot northern tropics to the icy south. 11 00:01:41,767 --> 00:01:46,204 And all around are seas with the most astonishing variety of life. 12 00:01:58,050 --> 00:02:00,814 But these waters are challenging places to live... 13 00:02:03,822 --> 00:02:05,653 ...only the toughest survive... 14 00:02:07,893 --> 00:02:11,158 catching a wave is the easy bit. 15 00:02:20,039 --> 00:02:23,440 The seas around Australia are as harsh as the land itself. 16 00:02:23,742 --> 00:02:27,735 Only in very special places has marine-life overcome the odds. 17 00:02:28,047 --> 00:02:31,016 The Great Barrier Reef is the one everyone knows, 18 00:02:31,216 --> 00:02:35,414 but there's another coral extravaganza on the other side of Australia. 19 00:02:38,257 --> 00:02:41,351 Here, the land is a desert and it hardly ever rains. 20 00:02:41,660 --> 00:02:43,753 There are no rivers flushing mud into the sea, 21 00:02:43,929 --> 00:02:46,363 and so the water stays crystal clear. 22 00:02:49,635 --> 00:02:54,504 lt's perfect for growing corals and all a stone's throw from the beach. 23 00:03:00,813 --> 00:03:03,611 Sandwiched between the desert shore and the open ocean, 24 00:03:04,016 --> 00:03:09,682 Ningaloo Reef is 260 kilometres of coral oasis. 25 00:03:11,523 --> 00:03:15,050 The outer reef wall encloses a self-contained world. 26 00:03:15,394 --> 00:03:18,522 Life thrives in the warmth of the sheltered lagoon. 27 00:03:25,070 --> 00:03:26,560 When conditions are this good 28 00:03:26,772 --> 00:03:30,367 baby striped catfish gobble like mad to get a head start. 29 00:03:33,545 --> 00:03:36,981 But until they've grown up, they roll around the reef together. 30 00:03:37,282 --> 00:03:40,911 This way they look bigger and scarier than they would on their own. 31 00:03:55,701 --> 00:04:00,070 All the raw ingredients for life as a catfish - or as anything else - 32 00:04:00,239 --> 00:04:01,866 are trapped within the lagoon. 33 00:04:04,343 --> 00:04:06,106 Until the Autumn storms... 34 00:04:06,612 --> 00:04:10,878 when the nutrition-packed reef-water spills out into the open sea. 35 00:04:13,452 --> 00:04:14,749 For just a brief period 36 00:04:15,087 --> 00:04:18,716 the lifeless waters outside become a nourishing soup... 37 00:04:19,024 --> 00:04:22,050 and dinner guests arrive out of the blue. 38 00:04:39,878 --> 00:04:41,641 lt's a whale shark. 39 00:04:44,650 --> 00:04:47,483 These giant ocean cruisers make long treks, 40 00:04:47,686 --> 00:04:51,884 because food is so hard to find out in the clear tropical seas. 41 00:04:52,191 --> 00:04:55,058 But they can be sure of getting a spot of lunch round here. 42 00:04:57,896 --> 00:04:59,761 Ningaloo is the only place in the world 43 00:04:59,932 --> 00:05:02,526 where you can see them feeding so close to shore. 44 00:05:05,971 --> 00:05:07,461 Whale sharks aren't the only ones 45 00:05:07,639 --> 00:05:10,437 who've marked this event in their biological diary. 46 00:05:13,178 --> 00:05:18,377 Vast shoals of sardines appear out of the lndian Ocean to join Ningaloo's feast. 47 00:05:38,036 --> 00:05:40,971 They're tailed by predatory dog tooth tuna. 48 00:05:52,751 --> 00:05:55,515 Sharks appear. They're usually loners. 49 00:05:57,456 --> 00:06:00,254 But they'll gang up for a party like this. 50 00:06:10,068 --> 00:06:14,664 Sharks and tuna work the shoals together, like dogs rounding up sheep... 51 00:06:14,973 --> 00:06:19,501 until they've pinned them against the shore in one massive, tight slick. 52 00:06:24,983 --> 00:06:26,883 The sardines look like easy meat, 53 00:06:27,085 --> 00:06:29,610 but the slick is now a solid wall of fish. 54 00:06:29,855 --> 00:06:32,619 lt's hard for the predators to know where to start. 55 00:06:39,131 --> 00:06:40,826 Every time the sharks plough in, 56 00:06:41,300 --> 00:06:44,064 the little fish do their parting-the-waves trick. 57 00:06:44,903 --> 00:06:46,894 lt's a dazzling defence. 58 00:06:48,740 --> 00:06:52,676 Tuna are like snipers; they pick off fish from the edge of the huddle. 59 00:06:56,315 --> 00:06:58,044 But it's hard for the sharks. 60 00:06:58,217 --> 00:07:01,243 They can't get a grip on the vast, darting shoal. 61 00:07:23,709 --> 00:07:28,669 The bait-ball is squeezed tighter and tighter and even the sharks can't miss. 62 00:07:38,323 --> 00:07:40,951 Then more heavyweight diners show up. 63 00:07:42,761 --> 00:07:45,252 The sardine shoal is now virtually on the beach, 64 00:07:45,430 --> 00:07:48,866 so surely out of reach of a huge Brydes whale. 65 00:08:12,924 --> 00:08:15,188 The sharks are finally making a dent in the shoal, 66 00:08:15,527 --> 00:08:19,486 but it's nothing to what these monstrous whales can cram into their mouths. 67 00:08:56,635 --> 00:09:00,435 When the food runs out, the bounty hunters will drift away 68 00:09:01,373 --> 00:09:04,433 and the sea around here will return to hard times. 69 00:09:08,447 --> 00:09:11,280 Australia's northwest coast is pretty impoverished 70 00:09:11,616 --> 00:09:14,642 and little fertile pockets like Ningaloo are rare. 71 00:09:15,153 --> 00:09:17,178 But there are other surprises. 72 00:09:17,456 --> 00:09:21,756 Further south, there's a giant inlet called Shark Bay. 73 00:09:30,836 --> 00:09:32,565 lt's surrounded by desert, 74 00:09:33,004 --> 00:09:34,494 and under a blazing sun, 75 00:09:34,673 --> 00:09:38,439 seawater evaporates off quicker than a boiling billycan. 76 00:09:42,481 --> 00:09:44,176 ln the inner reaches of the bay 77 00:09:44,349 --> 00:09:47,785 the concentrated water is twice as salty as the sea. 78 00:09:48,420 --> 00:09:51,082 And it doesn't get much tougher than that. 79 00:10:04,202 --> 00:10:06,796 There's nothing in this brine for these jellyfish to eat, 80 00:10:07,139 --> 00:10:09,403 so they've come up with a clever way to cope. 81 00:10:19,117 --> 00:10:21,711 Their tissues contain millions of plant cells 82 00:10:22,053 --> 00:10:24,886 that convert sunlight directly into food. 83 00:10:25,757 --> 00:10:28,055 These jellies are solar-powered. 84 00:10:31,563 --> 00:10:34,999 And since few predators can cope with living in this salty world, 85 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:38,863 they're unhassled and free to just soak up the sun. 86 00:10:58,323 --> 00:11:01,190 The shape of the coast has created a natural harbour - 87 00:11:01,726 --> 00:11:03,819 but on an Aussie scale. 88 00:11:03,995 --> 00:11:06,122 lnside is a place like no other. 89 00:11:06,598 --> 00:11:09,123 Meadows of sea-grass ripple over the seabed - 90 00:11:12,204 --> 00:11:16,368 these are the greatest underwater prairies on the planet. 91 00:11:24,649 --> 00:11:28,449 Grass can tough it out anywhere - even in salty water. 92 00:11:34,993 --> 00:11:36,722 ln fact, here it's perfect. 93 00:11:37,095 --> 00:11:40,223 The bay is calm, uniformly shallow, sunlit - 94 00:11:40,632 --> 00:11:44,068 and the sandy bottom is ideal for grass roots. 95 00:11:44,302 --> 00:11:46,600 So it's sea grass all the way. 96 00:11:50,141 --> 00:11:54,771 This lush, sunny grassland is the foundation of all life here. 97 00:12:07,626 --> 00:12:09,787 There's plenty of food for sea horses... 98 00:12:11,196 --> 00:12:15,257 ...and hiding places for the small and inexperienced. 99 00:12:18,303 --> 00:12:20,828 lt's the tiny animals living around the stalks, 100 00:12:20,939 --> 00:12:22,600 as much as the grass itself 101 00:12:22,841 --> 00:12:26,607 that offer such a good living to so many types of fish. 102 00:12:31,950 --> 00:12:33,542 Some look bizarre. 103 00:12:33,919 --> 00:12:37,446 The moth fish may seem over-designed, in its armour plating, 104 00:12:37,856 --> 00:12:40,324 but it has to careful of enemies. 105 00:12:45,463 --> 00:12:49,160 One bite from a venomous sea snake would be lethal. 106 00:13:04,182 --> 00:13:06,878 But these are the real monsters of Shark Bay. 107 00:13:07,319 --> 00:13:10,117 And they've spawned myths of giant proportions. 108 00:13:11,189 --> 00:13:14,022 Once upon a time, people thought they were mermaids. 109 00:13:18,697 --> 00:13:21,894 But it must have taken a desperate sailor to dream that one up. 110 00:13:23,902 --> 00:13:27,338 They're actually Dugongs, vegetarian sea-mammals, 111 00:13:28,373 --> 00:13:31,570 and there are over 1 0,000 of them in Shark bay. 112 00:13:31,776 --> 00:13:32,640 There might be even more 113 00:13:32,811 --> 00:13:35,974 if it weren't for the tiger sharks that give the bay its name. 114 00:13:38,583 --> 00:13:40,073 Babies stick close to Mum. 115 00:13:45,724 --> 00:13:50,161 They're sometimes called sea cows because they graze for eight hours a day. 116 00:13:51,262 --> 00:13:54,288 And they need a huge gut to digest all that grass. 117 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:56,929 No wonder they look portly. 118 00:14:15,053 --> 00:14:18,079 Like all mammals they have to take a breath from time to time. 119 00:14:21,993 --> 00:14:25,087 No worries in sea rarely deeper than 1 0 metres. 120 00:14:28,633 --> 00:14:32,592 Thanks to the meadows of sea-grass they lead a sheltered and stately life. 121 00:14:37,442 --> 00:14:39,205 Without the unusual shape of the coast, 122 00:14:39,377 --> 00:14:45,043 Shark Bay would be a sandy wasteland; much like the desert that surrounds it. 123 00:14:46,985 --> 00:14:49,681 Up north there's another natural hot spot, 124 00:14:50,021 --> 00:14:53,252 but forged from a very different set of conditions. 125 00:14:53,558 --> 00:14:58,188 Every year Australia's Top End is battered by the tropical monsoon. 126 00:15:18,183 --> 00:15:21,846 The weather is wild and the currents are wicked. 127 00:15:36,835 --> 00:15:39,303 The ocean is funnelled violently through a bottleneck - 128 00:15:39,471 --> 00:15:43,407 the shallow straits between Australia and the islands of lndonesia. 129 00:15:45,643 --> 00:15:49,443 The resulting tidal bulge is the highest anywhere in the tropics... 130 00:15:49,748 --> 00:15:52,239 and it really stirs things up. 131 00:15:57,922 --> 00:16:01,585 At low tide, the sea drops a massive 1 2 metres, 132 00:16:01,860 --> 00:16:07,765 leaving the Top End of Australia as one vast steamy plain of mud and mangrove. 133 00:16:18,143 --> 00:16:21,544 The heavy monsoon rains have another vitalising effect - 134 00:16:22,046 --> 00:16:24,412 they flush out rich silt from the rivers, 135 00:16:24,849 --> 00:16:27,943 and the coastal plains get a thick layer of mud. 136 00:16:31,456 --> 00:16:33,890 These muddy flats ooze with life... 137 00:16:34,259 --> 00:16:38,059 and it's all desperate for cover now the tide's gone out. 138 00:16:43,535 --> 00:16:45,196 And here's why. 139 00:16:51,576 --> 00:16:55,103 But with only six hours of feeding time till the tide comes in again, 140 00:16:55,280 --> 00:17:01,549 mudskippers, golden ghost crabs and wading birds have to start in top gear. 141 00:17:10,628 --> 00:17:13,028 They're all desperate to get down to the water's edge, 142 00:17:13,198 --> 00:17:16,964 where the receding tide has exposed a slap up feast. 143 00:17:19,270 --> 00:17:22,933 A million migrating birds re-fuel by sifting the warm silt 144 00:17:23,107 --> 00:17:26,133 for worms, snails and shellfish. 145 00:17:34,752 --> 00:17:38,188 Some have travelled over 1 5 000 kilometres to feed here, 146 00:17:38,489 --> 00:17:42,084 because these are the richest tidal mud flats in the world. 147 00:17:46,097 --> 00:17:49,066 But like a gold rush, things can get lawless. 148 00:17:49,567 --> 00:17:51,899 Sanderlings aren't above a bit of daylight robbery. 149 00:18:09,554 --> 00:18:12,955 But the villains of the beach... are the seagulls. 150 00:18:25,470 --> 00:18:30,032 On an exposed mud flat it's impossible to keep your treasures to yourself. 151 00:18:34,412 --> 00:18:36,471 This sand eel is quite a prize. 152 00:19:06,344 --> 00:19:08,744 There's just no justice round here. 153 00:19:08,980 --> 00:19:13,246 And with the returning tide the crab has no time to make up for his loss. 154 00:19:29,867 --> 00:19:32,700 While crabs can dig in under the racing tide... 155 00:19:33,037 --> 00:19:37,098 waders have to cosy-up at the top of a shrinking beach. 156 00:19:52,256 --> 00:19:54,554 At high tide the sea is brimming again, 157 00:19:54,726 --> 00:19:57,320 and all you can see is a desert shore. 158 00:19:57,562 --> 00:20:00,087 But a few hours later the tide will recede, 159 00:20:00,431 --> 00:20:05,095 the mudflats revealed, and the action will start all over again. 160 00:20:11,109 --> 00:20:13,236 Northern Australia sits under the tropics. 161 00:20:13,611 --> 00:20:17,206 Like a massive generator it drives the climate of the land 162 00:20:17,715 --> 00:20:21,708 but it also has a powerful effect on Australia's seas. 163 00:20:25,123 --> 00:20:28,456 The Leeuwin current is a river of warm water from the north 164 00:20:28,726 --> 00:20:33,390 that pumps down the west coast working its way into the cooler seas of the south. 165 00:20:34,799 --> 00:20:39,065 lt brings a lick of tropical warmth, but it doesn't bring any nutrients. 166 00:20:39,237 --> 00:20:42,400 They've already been used up by other marine life. 167 00:20:51,449 --> 00:20:55,783 This warm, empty current snakes into the Great Australian Bight - 168 00:20:56,087 --> 00:20:59,682 the broad bay that arcs around Australia's southern side. 169 00:21:00,191 --> 00:21:03,126 These coastal seas should be heaving with life - 170 00:21:04,162 --> 00:21:06,790 as full of fish as the North Atlantic. 171 00:21:06,964 --> 00:21:11,833 The cliffs should be screaming with nesting sea birds. But they're not. 172 00:21:21,879 --> 00:21:24,370 The Leeuwin current drives a wedge of tepid water 173 00:21:24,549 --> 00:21:27,814 between the coast and the adjacent southern ocean. 174 00:21:30,855 --> 00:21:34,689 As a result the sea's as infertile as the land above. 175 00:21:36,761 --> 00:21:40,219 Only extreme animals can live down here. 176 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:45,894 To find enough food this Australian sea lion 177 00:21:46,070 --> 00:21:50,530 has just returned from three days of long dives along the coast. 178 00:21:50,842 --> 00:21:53,538 By any seal standards that's a marathon... 179 00:21:57,815 --> 00:22:01,546 ...so on the last leg she deserves an easy ride in. 180 00:22:24,375 --> 00:22:28,675 She tells her pup she's back. lt's desperate for a feed. 181 00:22:33,985 --> 00:22:38,183 They can only live here because of the unconventional way they bring up the pups. 182 00:22:39,790 --> 00:22:41,690 These babies are huge! 183 00:22:41,926 --> 00:22:44,451 Other young seals would have been weaned long ago, 184 00:22:44,762 --> 00:22:48,698 but Australian sea-lion pups suckle for over a year and a half, 185 00:22:48,866 --> 00:22:51,664 way longer than their relatives. 186 00:22:53,871 --> 00:22:59,571 A good, fat start is the only way to go, for a life in impoverished seas. 187 00:23:03,114 --> 00:23:07,312 Even so Aussie sea lions live for just 1 2 years. 188 00:23:07,685 --> 00:23:10,882 lt's the shortest lifespan of any seal. 189 00:23:18,196 --> 00:23:20,096 When the mothers go back out to sea, 190 00:23:20,364 --> 00:23:23,561 the pups make the most of their extended childhood. 191 00:24:04,442 --> 00:24:05,466 A coastal lagoon - 192 00:24:05,643 --> 00:24:07,611 out of the reach of predatory sharks - 193 00:24:08,045 --> 00:24:10,570 is a safe place to try life in the water. 194 00:24:37,074 --> 00:24:40,703 These Aussie sea lions depend on their mothers for years. 195 00:24:40,978 --> 00:24:45,005 But they're not being pampered they have to prepare for life on the edge. 196 00:24:45,483 --> 00:24:48,213 As adults they'll make record-breaking dives 197 00:24:48,386 --> 00:24:49,944 just to get enough to eat, 198 00:24:50,154 --> 00:24:53,317 so they need this time to develop stamina too. 199 00:24:54,392 --> 00:24:56,986 But it looks like they have a bit of fun along the way. 200 00:25:19,016 --> 00:25:22,508 ln these barren waters it's hard for anything to make a living. 201 00:25:23,054 --> 00:25:26,490 So what could possibly attract an animal the size of a whale? 202 00:25:28,592 --> 00:25:30,651 She's come here to have a baby. 203 00:25:30,961 --> 00:25:32,588 The warmth of the Leeuwin current 204 00:25:32,763 --> 00:25:36,255 has created a lovely whale-sized birthing pool. 205 00:25:43,174 --> 00:25:46,632 Southern Right whales spend most of the year in the sub-Antarctic, 206 00:25:47,244 --> 00:25:51,112 but the water's too cold and wild down there for a vulnerable baby. 207 00:25:52,016 --> 00:25:56,783 They come to the protected bays of the Australian Bight to rear their calves. 208 00:26:11,268 --> 00:26:16,535 But this is one hungry baby and it needs mother's milk to build up its strength. 209 00:26:20,745 --> 00:26:24,545 Breast-feeding is demanding - the baby could suck its mother dry. 210 00:26:25,116 --> 00:26:27,277 So what is she doing for food? 211 00:26:28,352 --> 00:26:30,149 She sorted that out months ago... 212 00:26:30,388 --> 00:26:32,856 by fattening up in the rich southern ocean. 213 00:26:33,324 --> 00:26:36,816 Over the summer she ate her way through two tonnes of krill a day. 214 00:26:45,703 --> 00:26:49,366 lt gave her enough energy to swim 2000 kilometres to Australia, 215 00:26:49,673 --> 00:26:52,369 give birth, produce thousands of litres of milk 216 00:26:54,011 --> 00:26:57,503 and then guide her calf back to the sub-Antarctic. 217 00:26:58,015 --> 00:27:00,245 All without taking another bite. 218 00:27:12,430 --> 00:27:17,060 Most animals, such as the Giant Cuttlefish, don't venture such distances. 219 00:27:24,041 --> 00:27:27,067 But they have to find food in these impoverished waters. 220 00:27:27,511 --> 00:27:29,945 Their favourite prey is thin on the ground, 221 00:27:30,214 --> 00:27:32,739 so they live and hunt alone. 222 00:27:39,290 --> 00:27:41,656 First they mesmerise their victim... 223 00:27:52,703 --> 00:27:54,261 ...then they take aim. 224 00:27:54,438 --> 00:27:57,339 lt must be like looking down the barrel of a gun. 225 00:28:07,718 --> 00:28:11,415 They're deadly accurate... but not so hot in reverse. 226 00:28:19,830 --> 00:28:22,264 Cuttlefish only get together in the autumn. 227 00:28:22,500 --> 00:28:24,593 The Great Australian Bight has rocky reefs, 228 00:28:24,768 --> 00:28:26,827 which are vital in the breeding season. 229 00:28:27,004 --> 00:28:30,337 And cuttles gather in their thousands to size each other up. 230 00:28:37,081 --> 00:28:39,481 Giant cuttlefish are the biggest of their kind. 231 00:28:39,817 --> 00:28:41,978 Males can grow over a metre long 232 00:28:42,219 --> 00:28:45,086 and they're the ones that command centre stage. 233 00:28:48,559 --> 00:28:50,550 There's lots of showing off. 234 00:28:50,761 --> 00:28:53,889 These flashy signals sort the men from the boys. 235 00:29:01,572 --> 00:29:03,437 Holding ground is everything. 236 00:29:03,741 --> 00:29:07,074 This big male wants to control a certain spot on the reef. 237 00:29:09,580 --> 00:29:12,845 lt's where the females will come to lay their eggs. 238 00:29:16,921 --> 00:29:18,855 Other males try to muscle-in. 239 00:29:36,974 --> 00:29:39,534 These upstarts don't seem to be getting the message, 240 00:29:39,743 --> 00:29:43,042 so the defending male throws his weight around a bit. 241 00:29:51,455 --> 00:29:53,116 The females are much daintier 242 00:29:53,490 --> 00:29:55,890 but they always search for the biggest male. 243 00:29:56,126 --> 00:29:58,924 He usually holds the key to the best egg chamber. 244 00:30:05,903 --> 00:30:09,498 After all the bravado, he shows his tender side. 245 00:30:32,129 --> 00:30:35,530 That's the romance out of the way, now it's back to guard duty. 246 00:30:36,433 --> 00:30:37,695 Rivals never give up, 247 00:30:37,868 --> 00:30:42,430 and the big male wants to make sure those are HlS babies under that rock! 248 00:30:51,815 --> 00:30:54,841 To the east of here, life in the sea goes up a gear. 249 00:30:57,821 --> 00:31:00,813 The warm Leeuwin current is running out of steam. 250 00:31:04,695 --> 00:31:08,631 And the cold Southern Ocean is beginning to take charge. 251 00:31:09,099 --> 00:31:13,627 This force from the south has chiselled out huge limestone stacks - 252 00:31:14,171 --> 00:31:18,767 the Twelve Apostles stand as if in reverence to the power of the sea. 253 00:31:23,847 --> 00:31:26,338 Here, off the southeast corner of Australia, 254 00:31:26,650 --> 00:31:30,848 these colder seas also start to shape life beneath the waves. 255 00:31:32,589 --> 00:31:33,351 lt's chilly, 256 00:31:33,524 --> 00:31:36,721 but it's paradise compared to the waters of the Bight. 257 00:31:40,931 --> 00:31:45,800 lt's as if the hand brake has finally been taken off and life can really motor. 258 00:31:46,270 --> 00:31:49,433 There are over a thousand different types of kelp alone. 259 00:31:58,549 --> 00:32:03,953 Forests of Giant Kelp grow at top speed in these ideal conditions. 260 00:32:06,824 --> 00:32:10,089 The Southern Ocean pumps in all the basic ingredients. 261 00:32:10,461 --> 00:32:13,259 With a good dose of sunlight, and the plentiful nutrients 262 00:32:13,430 --> 00:32:14,829 that you get in cool waters - 263 00:32:15,299 --> 00:32:19,065 these seaweed-trees can shoot up half a metre a day. 264 00:32:26,543 --> 00:32:28,807 Sometimes they reach 50 metres - 265 00:32:29,213 --> 00:32:31,841 taller than most of the trees on land. 266 00:32:41,825 --> 00:32:43,793 But it isn't just the luxuriant growth 267 00:32:43,961 --> 00:32:46,691 that makes this corner of the ocean so special. 268 00:32:47,064 --> 00:32:49,157 lt's the remoteness. 269 00:32:50,334 --> 00:32:52,063 lt's been remote for so long, 270 00:32:52,369 --> 00:32:56,362 that most of the plants and animals are found nowhere else on earth. 271 00:32:58,175 --> 00:33:00,234 Even by Australian standards 272 00:33:00,410 --> 00:33:04,176 this weedy sea dragon looks out of this world. 273 00:33:06,416 --> 00:33:08,850 Like the kangaroos and koalas on land, 274 00:33:09,286 --> 00:33:14,690 the animals in the sea have been caught up in their own evolutionary bubble. 275 00:33:20,931 --> 00:33:24,423 Gliding through the seaweed on its peculiar fins it proves 276 00:33:24,601 --> 00:33:27,229 that not all dragons are myths. 277 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:41,073 The curious little handfish would rather walk than swim. 278 00:33:49,893 --> 00:33:53,329 lt uses its strange fins to stroll along the sea floor, 279 00:33:53,497 --> 00:33:57,126 saving tail power for when it's really needed. 280 00:34:05,642 --> 00:34:09,305 The leafy sea dragon has a dress code all its own. 281 00:34:09,546 --> 00:34:12,413 lt's modelled itself on the local seaweeds. 282 00:34:21,024 --> 00:34:23,424 These dragons are nearly half a metre long - 283 00:34:23,794 --> 00:34:25,819 but they easily go un-noticed. 284 00:34:25,996 --> 00:34:30,228 This outrageous fashion statement is the perfect camouflage. 285 00:34:41,411 --> 00:34:43,936 And these are not your typical Aussie males. 286 00:34:44,248 --> 00:34:48,582 With sea dragons, it's the fathers that carry the eggs. 287 00:34:52,656 --> 00:34:55,955 He makes quite sure that the offspring don't drift off. 288 00:34:56,126 --> 00:34:56,888 lt's crucial - 289 00:34:57,060 --> 00:34:58,891 they must hatch out, and grow up, 290 00:34:59,062 --> 00:35:01,792 against this same matching background. 291 00:35:01,965 --> 00:35:04,331 They'd stick out like a sore thumb anywhere else, 292 00:35:04,701 --> 00:35:08,228 so they're trapped forever in this corner of Australia. 293 00:35:11,875 --> 00:35:13,900 Other residents are more cosmopolitan - 294 00:35:14,711 --> 00:35:17,271 they're not so tied to this strange place. 295 00:35:17,781 --> 00:35:22,013 ln fact some make every effort to get their offspring out of here. 296 00:35:25,389 --> 00:35:27,550 And the ocean currents will help. 297 00:35:30,661 --> 00:35:35,189 After sundown a female lobster sets out across the reef. 298 00:35:37,701 --> 00:35:41,694 Under her tail is a precious cargo of tiny larvae. 299 00:35:46,610 --> 00:35:51,047 She's looking for the highest point on the reef to send them on their way. 300 00:35:55,385 --> 00:35:57,876 The top spot is always the most popular. 301 00:35:58,055 --> 00:36:01,582 But once all the females are in position they wait. 302 00:36:05,629 --> 00:36:08,621 There are fewer predators around in the hour before dawn. 303 00:36:08,832 --> 00:36:12,324 So only then do they cast off their brood. 304 00:36:42,399 --> 00:36:45,334 The water's more turbulent up here at the top of the reef... 305 00:36:45,569 --> 00:36:47,594 so it's hard to hold a handstand! 306 00:36:55,879 --> 00:36:58,347 With this odd and elegant way of giving birth, 307 00:36:58,682 --> 00:37:01,116 lobsters have colonised the oceans. 308 00:37:12,529 --> 00:37:16,693 The lucky ones get sucked into the powerful Southern Ocean Current. 309 00:37:16,900 --> 00:37:19,061 lt only clips the corner of Australia - 310 00:37:19,302 --> 00:37:22,032 so its effects largely pass the country by. 311 00:37:22,439 --> 00:37:24,737 But it hits New Zealand square on, 312 00:37:26,043 --> 00:37:29,012 so there its impact is stronger. 313 00:37:35,085 --> 00:37:38,179 New Zealand and Australia used to be joined together. 314 00:37:38,755 --> 00:37:41,349 But they drifted apart millions of years ago, 315 00:37:41,691 --> 00:37:44,216 and now their seas are very different. 316 00:37:53,770 --> 00:37:55,294 The waters around New Zealand 317 00:37:55,472 --> 00:37:58,908 are topped up by nutrients washed from this fertile land. 318 00:37:59,076 --> 00:38:02,341 So they're richer and support more life. 319 00:38:05,949 --> 00:38:08,474 Like this massive colony of gannets. 320 00:38:22,165 --> 00:38:25,965 Each summer 8,000 pairs will raise a family here. 321 00:38:29,573 --> 00:38:32,770 And it's all based on the fabulous fisheries of pilchards, 322 00:38:32,943 --> 00:38:36,344 anchovies and jack mackerel in the surrounding sea. 323 00:38:47,524 --> 00:38:49,253 They have to pinpoint the catch. 324 00:38:49,826 --> 00:38:53,455 But once they get their bearings, each hit is a bull's-eye. 325 00:39:06,843 --> 00:39:10,745 Gannets slice into the water at 1 50 kilometres an hour - 326 00:39:11,047 --> 00:39:14,983 which means they can score fish ten metres below the surface. 327 00:39:15,152 --> 00:39:19,885 lf the fish go deeper, the gannets just wait for the arrival of the backup squad. 328 00:39:24,694 --> 00:39:27,288 Common dolphins harass the sardines from below, 329 00:39:27,464 --> 00:39:29,432 pinning them up against the surface. 330 00:39:36,973 --> 00:39:39,305 And that puts them back into gannet-range. 331 00:40:03,667 --> 00:40:07,364 Although these numbers are impressive, gannets are citizens of the world. 332 00:40:07,771 --> 00:40:11,969 After all, you can see the same spectacle in British waters. 333 00:40:13,009 --> 00:40:16,740 But New Zealand has been sitting out on its own for a very long time. 334 00:40:17,180 --> 00:40:21,207 And it has some wildlife wonders that are truly unique. 335 00:40:23,787 --> 00:40:27,917 Hector's dolphins are only found around the New Zealand coast. 336 00:40:34,764 --> 00:40:35,890 They're also tiny. 337 00:40:36,266 --> 00:40:40,396 At just over a metre long they're the miniatures of the dolphin world. 338 00:40:42,672 --> 00:40:45,800 They spend all their lives in the shallow water near the beach. 339 00:40:47,711 --> 00:40:52,239 Further out they'd be a mere snack for a shark or killer whale. 340 00:40:55,151 --> 00:40:57,244 But they don't need to go anywhere. 341 00:40:57,654 --> 00:41:02,614 The bountiful southern ocean brings a total lifestyle package right to the door. 342 00:41:51,341 --> 00:41:53,002 The huge swell is a reminder 343 00:41:53,176 --> 00:41:57,078 that New Zealand's southern tip is in the firing line of the coldest, 344 00:41:57,280 --> 00:41:59,111 wildest ocean in the world. 345 00:42:12,228 --> 00:42:15,163 lt's one of the most fertile seas on earth, 346 00:42:15,398 --> 00:42:19,858 but sea birds can't breed out here - they need land. 347 00:42:27,744 --> 00:42:30,269 The Snares islands are the last specks of rock 348 00:42:30,447 --> 00:42:33,075 connected to the Australian continental shelf. 349 00:42:33,350 --> 00:42:36,877 Sure ground in the midst of a full-throttle ocean. 350 00:42:47,530 --> 00:42:51,057 ln the great sweep of open sea between Australia and Antarctica, 351 00:42:51,234 --> 00:42:54,635 Snares Crested Penguins have no shortage of food. 352 00:42:54,938 --> 00:42:57,168 lt's dry land that's at a premium. 353 00:43:12,756 --> 00:43:13,347 Every summer 354 00:43:13,523 --> 00:43:17,186 the waters around these isolated islands swarm with penguins. 355 00:43:17,494 --> 00:43:20,622 They're gathering to get the next generation underway. 356 00:43:25,735 --> 00:43:28,135 The Snares lslands are the only rocks around 357 00:43:28,304 --> 00:43:30,670 where these birds can raise their young. 358 00:43:31,007 --> 00:43:34,773 Twice a day the adults have to return to the nests to feed their chicks, 359 00:43:35,078 --> 00:43:38,047 and they have to run the gauntlet of pirates. 360 00:43:48,892 --> 00:43:52,692 Fifty metres out, the returning penguins raft together on the surface, 361 00:43:52,896 --> 00:43:56,889 until sheer numbers give them the confidence to make a dive for shore. 362 00:44:02,705 --> 00:44:05,503 ln the melee, head-ons can't be avoided. 363 00:44:09,312 --> 00:44:13,772 Under the water, penguins are just too nippy for Hookers sea lions. 364 00:44:16,186 --> 00:44:20,054 This one's probably on the lookout for a weak or injured bird. 365 00:44:33,603 --> 00:44:37,095 Fit penguins have no trouble covering the last stretch of open water. 366 00:44:40,610 --> 00:44:42,237 Landing is trickier. 367 00:44:42,412 --> 00:44:44,903 But these birds are fearless. 368 00:45:17,480 --> 00:45:19,880 Snares Penguins have to be sure-footed. 369 00:45:20,149 --> 00:45:23,607 Their twice-daily commute includes a sheer wall of granite. 370 00:45:29,826 --> 00:45:32,192 Penguins may not be the most elegant climbers 371 00:45:32,362 --> 00:45:36,230 but with their low centre of gravity, strong claws and sheer doggedness, 372 00:45:36,399 --> 00:45:38,367 they get there in the end. 373 00:45:47,410 --> 00:45:51,870 At the top there's the rush-hour traffic and muddy forest trails to negotiate... 374 00:45:58,755 --> 00:46:02,953 Then they have to pinpoint the calls of their own out of the colonial din. 375 00:46:04,861 --> 00:46:07,728 Only then can mum and dad bring home the bacon... 376 00:46:07,964 --> 00:46:11,161 or in this case regurgitated squid. 377 00:46:21,844 --> 00:46:26,543 Two months and two tired parents later, the chicks are ready for the sea. 378 00:46:28,918 --> 00:46:32,547 The journey begins enthusiastically, as they all head for the water. 379 00:46:36,192 --> 00:46:38,820 But it takes a while to find your feet. 380 00:46:56,713 --> 00:46:59,705 Maybe it's better to give it just a few more minutes... 381 00:47:03,119 --> 00:47:06,418 Snares Penguins are just one of the many resilient animals 382 00:47:06,623 --> 00:47:10,252 that have risen above the challenges in these southern seas. 383 00:47:13,896 --> 00:47:17,195 These tough little birds have to overcome one more obstacle. 384 00:47:17,567 --> 00:47:21,435 Getting into the water is a triumph of substance over style! 385 00:47:51,200 --> 00:47:54,829 Desert waters, tricky currents and sheer isolation 386 00:47:55,204 --> 00:47:58,970 have all helped shape the diversity of marine life down under. 387 00:48:02,545 --> 00:48:05,878 These are waters filled with surprises and delights. 388 00:48:06,115 --> 00:48:11,951 Hardship has simply brought out the best in the strange Southern Seas.